Insulating and packing material and process of manufacturing same.



Patented Ian. 28, I902.

M. RAPHAEL 8v. L. ELIAS. INSULATING AND PACKING MATERIAL AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SAME.

(Application filed Oct. 11, 1900,

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

MAX RAPHAEL AND LEOPOLD ELIAS, OF BRESLAU, GERMANY.

INSULATING AND PACKING MATERIAL AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SAME.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,871, dated January 28, 1902.

Application filed October II 1900. Serial No. 32,723. (No specimens.)

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that we, MAX RAPHAEL, man ufacturer, of 10 Zimmerstrasse, and LEOPOLD ELIAS, manufacturer, of 37 Kaiser-Wilhelmstrasse, Breslau, Germany, have invented a new or Improved Insulating and Packing Ma terial and Process of Manufactu ring the Same, of which the following is a full and clear description.

This invention relates to a new or improved insulating and packing material and to the method or process of manufacturing same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an edge view of the material, and Fig. 2 a plan view.

The improved material is particularly adapted for use as an electrical insulating medium. Hitherto mica has long been used as being the best insulating material for electrical purposes. Owing to the progress made in the electrical industry, such large quantities of mica are now used that the material is not only progressively rising in price, but it cannotbefound insufficientquantityin pieces of a sufficiently large size, since in the natural condition mica very seldom occurs in large formed masses compared with the quantity found of a smaller form. Although small mica is found in sufficient quantity, yet it is only capable of employment after having been brought by artificial means to such a condition as to present sufficiently large surfaces. For some time past a material known, particularly in Germany, as micanit has been prepared as a substitute for the larger-sized pieces of mica. This substitute consists, essentially, of the smaller pieces of mica split into thin plates and caused to adhere together by means of dissolved shellac in such a manner as to constitute larger plates. Micanit, however, possesses the disadvantage that the shellac employed becomes softened by the heat developed by the electric current, and,

further, as very thinly split mica must be employed for the preparation of micanit the material contains too large a proportion of shellac. On the other hand, only thinly-split mica can be employed, as otherwise even and regular surfaces, such as are required for electrical purposes, could not be produced.

We aim by the present invention to overcome the objection to the material known as micanit by rendering unnecessary the excessive use of an adhesive material, such as shellac. We prefer to dispense with adhesive material entirely; but we do not limit ourselves in this particular, as circumstances may arise where it will be desirable to use a preparation of adhesive material to augment the adhesion secured by pressure.

According to the present invention we utilize the property possessed by moistened asbestos of adhering rigidly to mica, so as to bind or unite the small pieces thereof together. The intimate union thus produced remains even afterthe moisture has been removed.

In carrying out this invention the small thin plates or pieces of mica b, Fig. 2, are laid upon the asbestos a, andnhe latter is moistened with water. The mica pieces are laid scale-like uponthe asbestos, as shown in Fig. 2. Then the whole is subjected to pressure, whereby the greater proportion of the water is removed. By reason of the adhesion between the asbestos and the pieces of mica the latter are as firmly and rigidly bound together as the individual laminae in the natural mica. Any moisture still remaining behind is removed by further pressing and simultaneously drying by application of heat or other suitable means, since it is obvious that an insulating material must contain no moisture. As the asbestos, which constitutes the binding material for the mica, is an extremely porous material, it will contain .air in a very finely divided condition in its pores, so that the new material is built up of mica, air, and asbestos. It is obvious that the manufacture of the new insulating material is not limited to its production in the form of flat plates or sheets, but that it can be molded to any suitable shape.

It will be understood that as this new material is made from incombustible substances which will resist practically any pressure it may therefore be employed very advantageously as a packing material.

In accordance with the process herein described the insulating or packing material, consisting of asbestos and mica, is made up without the employment of an adhesive material. In thismanner the material is essentially superior. to the other materials of asbestos and mica which have always an adhesive in their make-up. The adhesive has the drawback that it changes, softens, or sweats from influences of heat, as the adhesive con-.

even if the moisture between the two materials passes away completely.

We claim- 1. A11 insulating material consisting of a layer of mica formed of small pieces of mica arranged scale-like upon each other and a separate layer of asbestos, said layers being directly connected with each other, substantially as described.

2. An insulating material consisting of independent layers of mica and asbestos attached together, the said mica being in the form of small flakes or scales, and the asbestos being pressed into contact therewith.

3. The herein-described process of making insulating material consisting in applying moisture free from adhesive to an asbestos layer and pressing flakes or scales of mica into contact therewith, substantially as described.

4. The process of producing an insulating packing material composed of asbestos and mica, consisting in moistening the asbestos with water and pressing the mica and asbestos together, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

MAX RAPHAEL. LEOPOI D ELIAS.

Witnesses:

RUDOLF FLIESS, HERMANN BAR'rsoH. 

